The Million Hearts® initiative recently recognized Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene (CMC/DHK) as one of nine national Champions of the 2013 Hypertension Control Challenge for success in achieving exceptionally high rates of adequate blood pressure control for patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are the co-leaders of Million Hearts® within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and there are many other national partners.

An award ceremony was held on March 21st at CMC/DHK to recognize the collaboration and achievement that physicians, nurses and staff have made to improve the health of hypertensive patients in Cheshire County. Ray Hurd, Regional Administrator for the CMS Boston and New York Regional Offices (Regions I & II), shared remarks about the importance of the Million Hearts initiative for the United States and CMS, and cited examples of quality improvement work at CMC/DHK, aligning clinical goals across primary and specialty areas to effectively manage and control blood pressure for patients. Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health Services, NH DHHS, shared his pride and congratulations of the Million Hearts recognition, in addition to a statewide perspective and update on the collective efforts of the NH Medical Society and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to advance the initiative. Dr. Don Caruso, Medical Director of DHK, shared that this measureable improvement of blood pressure affects our patient’s overall health and is a great example of how working together, we are achieving Healthy Monadnock 2020’s goal to become the healthiest community in the nation by 2020.

About Million Hearts
Million Hearts® is a national, public-private initiative that aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 by empowering Americans to make healthier choices and by improving heart health in healthcare settings. For more information about the initiative and to access resources, visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov. For more information about the award, please visit the CMC/DHK website at: http://www.cheshire-med.com/about_us/newsdetail/65664/.

About Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock KeeneCheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene is a nonprofit community hospital and clinic with a mission to lead our community to become the nation’s healthiest through our clinical and service excellence, collaboration, and compassion for every patient, every time. Founded by CMC/D-HK, Healthy Monadnock 2020 (formerly Vision 2020) is a community-wide health initiative designed to actively engage the citizens of the Monadnock Region in the process of becoming the nation's healthiest community by 2020. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit www.cheshiremed.org.